What Might Have Been
by HadesSiren
Summary: What if Edward hadn't been able to reach Bella in time after her encounter with James? Don't worry, Bella survives, she's just...different. Please read, review, and enjoy!
1. A New Twilight

**Disclaimer: **I have no rights to _Twilight_ by Stephenie Meyer. The only thing I own is this plotline.

**A Quick Note: **This is my very first fanfic, so I'd like to ask people to read and give any kind of review (critical or complementary), and just tell me the truth. It will only help my writing. Thanks!

(This is what I was hoping would happen as I read the story. It picks up after paragraph 3 of chapter 23, The Angel, because that's where Bella is bitten and Edward comes in. For your convenience, the text that is in bold is the actual text from the book, not my own (I'm pretty sure that as long as I give credit, it's ok to do this. If it's not someone please tell me!).)

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**As I drifted, I dreamed.**

**Where I floated, under the dark water, I heard the happiest sound my mind could conjure up – as beautiful, as uplifting, as it was ghastly. It was another snarl; a deeper, wilder roar that rang with fury.**

**I was brought back, almost to the surface, by a sharp pain slashing my upraised hand, but I couldn't find my way back far enough to open my eyes.**

Breathlessly, I heard a familiar voice, familiar but I didn't know whose, gasp, "No!"

I tried to open my eyes; I knew I was in danger. All I was able to see was a dark silhouette dropping down next to me, another coming towards me, and a faint light coming from far away.

"Bella!" screamed that same voice, "Please. No."

The other shape had reached me now, but the first grabbed me with ice-like arms and held me to an even colder chest.

"Careful," warned a new, though still recognizable voice. It came from the second figure who was attempting to determine how badly I was wounded.

I began moaning in pain. Pain from all over. My head, my leg, my chest. But worst of all was my hand, which was rapidly spreading up my arm. It was like being drenched in acid. My body was dissolving, being destroyed, from the inside out.

"It's all my fault!" sobbed the voice of the one holding me. Why couldn't I remember whose voice it was? "I swore to protect you! Bella! Please!"

"She's been bitten!" yelled the second form.

The figure cradling me went rigid. "Can't we do anything!"

At that same time my body started to spasm violently. The acid had traveled all through my arm up to my shoulder. _Alice was wrong_, I thought, _the transformation doesn't take days, it doesn't even take hours. But she had been right about the pain._

Alice. Suddenly it all came rushing back. The ballet studio. James. Edward.

The voice I now remembered to be Carlisle's said, "The poison is traveling too fast; her pulse is extraordinarily high. You only have two choices: let the toxin take its effects, or end it all now."

With defeat edging into his voice, Edward sobbed, "No! There had to be another way! I promised! Bella," he said, calming down, for my sake, I'm sure, "I love you. I'm _so_ sorry. You can not understand how sorry I am."

All my other injuries were becoming obsolete as the inferno that was now my blood continued to spread.

I tried to say that I loved Edward with all my heart. That he had no reason to be sorry; he had done everything he could to keep me away from James. But all I was able to get out was, "I lov-," before I began an agonizing scream.

Edward clutched me even tighter as he began to sob again mumbling over and over how much he loved me, how sorry he was, and could I ever forgive him?

Once my scream had subsided, Edward leaned over me all the while mumbling, so his frigid cheek was against mine. His ear was right next to my lips and I was able to whisper, "I love you. I'm sorry."

"No Bella," was all I heard before I was consumed my darkness.

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Ok, not my best and I know it was really similar to the original _Twilight_ chapter. But I promise the second chapter is _very_ different I just thought they needed to be separate! 


	2. Sounds Like A Plan

**Disclaimer:** I have no ownership rights to _Twilight_ or any of its characters. But I do own this plotline.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed. Same goes as last time: Please read and give a brutally honest review. Thanks!

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I awoke in a bed, and though I had never in my life been in this room before, I knew exactly where I was. In front of me was an entire wall of glass overlooking a gorgeous forest with a river snaking through it.

"Bella?" quietly questioned that voice, smooth as silk, which I could never tire of.

My head immediately snapped to my left where I saw Edward. That beautiful face! My heart nearly broke to see the despair that covered every inch of it.

Before I could even blink, I was cradled in his arms; my face squished into his chest, his chin on the crown of my head.

_Strange_, I thought, _his arms don't seem all that cold anymore._

I tuned into what Edward was saying. "Bella, I am so, so sorry. I never should have left you. I love you so much."

"Edward," I interpreted him, "I love you too. I was stupid to fall into such an obvious trap." Edward chuckled unbearably sadly.

"Do you even realize what had happened?" questioned Edward.

I thought back over what I could remember. James, the unbelievable pain, Edward's despair. "Am I -?" I couldn't even say it.

Edward hung his head in shame and that was my answer.

Before I even really thought about it, my lips were on his. "I love you," I whispered.

For the first time I stopped to actually listen. I could hear five beings throughout the house. Alice and Jasper were downstairs talking to Esme. Rosalie was in the room she shared with Emmett fixing her hair. And Emmett was attempting to convince Rosalie of something. Carlisle must have been at work.

"What about my leg?" I asked while wiggling my toes. I couldn't help it, I was curious!

"As the…transformation…was completing, your body repaired itself."

Horrible as it sounds, I wanted to try out my new vampire powers. I broke free of Edward's grasp, and with unnatural speed got off the bed and…fell flat on my face.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" I mumbled. I would _not_ let this be my accented 'talent'.

Edward snorted as he failed miserably to hold back his laughter while scooping me back into his arms, taking me back to the bed. I glared at him.

We just lay there for a while, me cradled in his arms, each thinking our own thoughts, when a gently knock followed by a timid, "Can I come in?" snapped us back to reality.

Alice poked her head in through the door of the guest bedroom. "Edward, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Of course," he replied as he moved gracefully towards her.

They began talking in their low, smooth, fast language. I caught a few words. Bella, Phoenix, the truck, Renée, Charlie.

_Oh crap_. "What about Renée and Charlie?" I asked.

"Well," Alice replied, "Renée called late last night and I told her that you had needed to talk to her because you saw on the news about some crime in your old neighborhood, like, oh I don't know, stolen sports cars and arson," her quick glance towards a smiling Edward did not escape my notice, "and you didn't want her going home too soon. I told her you were out on a date so she couldn't talk to you. She also asked me to tell you that she and Phil say 'hi' and that they miss you, but not to worry because Phil got signed."

"As for Charlie," Edward cut in, "Since it's only Thursday evening, that buys us some time. Not much, but still. What we were thinking was this: Sunday morning you drive your truck back home. You apologize to you dad for the way you acted and for worrying him. Explain how you drove all the way to Phoenix, but then realized the mistake you were making. Really all you'll need to say is that you needed time to think and the drive from Forks to Phoenix and back gave you more than enough. Don't worry, either Alice or myself will be with you the whole time to make sure you don't…um…lose control."

Did they really have so little faith in me that they though I'd eat my own father? I suppose I was thirsty, but I really wasn't ready to admit it.

"So whenever I'm 'alone' with Charlie, one of you will be with me?" They both nodded. "What about school?" They looked at each other and sighed. I could tell they'd been expecting this question.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair then replied, "That's what we're attempting to figure out. Being surrounded by humans like that takes immense self-control and it would be far too obvious if one of us were to follow you around all day. As of right now, the best we've come up with is lots of extra hunting trips and maybe a trip or two to Port Angeles to see how you fare surrounded by people with us to keep things under control."

As I thought about it, it all made perfect sense. I obviously couldn't go to Phoenix to wait out the rest of the year, so I'd have to remain in Forks. Since I'd be in Forks, I would either have to live with Charlie and adapt to school or be confined to the Cullen household where no one might see me by accident.

I got up off the edge of the bed where I'd been sitting and walked over to them. I gave Alice a hug, then went to Edward.

As I put my arms around his neck, he wrapped his arms around my waist. After a quick kiss, I pulled my head back, looked into those captivating eyes, and, with a smile, said, "Sounds like a plan."

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I think this chapter came out _much_ better than the first one. It's a little longer, but it said what I wanted it to say. I really worked on trying to accurately capture the character's personalities. Please review!

P.S. The first two chapters came really easily, but I'm trying to think of a good way to move the plot along, so just a heads up!


	3. Heart To Heart

Ok…so I was practicing Sonata in Eb major for the clarinet when inspiration just struck, and hey, what are you gonna do? Anyway, I'm sorry it took so long to update, but oh well, I have now: )

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I know…I don't own _Twilight_ and if you thought I did then, well, that's just not right. But I do own this plotline!

Thanks to those of you who reviewed…keep them coming! Now, on with the show! (Or is it story?)

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As we began to make our way downstairs, it hit me that my life as I knew it was pretty much over.

I walked with Alice on my left and Edward on my right, his arm around my waist. I still wasn't exactly steady on my feet.

Once we reached the top of the stairs, I saw what my ears had already told me; Esme and Jasper were sitting on a couch talking. Emmett and Rosalie had since joined them and Carlisle had arrived home.

As we began to make our way down the steps, conversations ceased and all eyes were on us, or rather, me.

"Oh Bella," breathed Esme as she rose from her seat to give me a hug at the bottom of the stairs.

All eyes remained on me as we walked over to where the others sat. I was suddenly very self-conscious of how I looked.

Before anyone could say anything, Edward said, "Alice and I have already explained to Bella what our basic plan of action is and she has agreed." Carlisle nodded.

For the first time since coming downstairs, I actually _looked_ at the family surrounding me. The family I suppose that I was now a part of. Esme looked worried, Jasper glanced at me uncomfortably, Emmett seemed to be lost in a daze, and Carlisle peered at me thoughtfully. But Rosalie…Rosalie appeared sad, almost as if she would cry if she could.

I realized with a start that I'd been staring at Rosalie for several minutes and only broke my gaze after Alice repeated my name three or four times.

"Bella? Does that sound alright by you?"

"I'm sorry," I said, "What were you saying?"

With a small laugh and a warm smile, Alice replied, "I said, we'll wait until it's dark out, we don't want you being seen, and then Edward and I will teach you to hunt. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie will secure a perimeter to make sure no one accidentally stumbles upon us.

"Tomorrow, you, Esme, Rosalie, and I will go to Port Angeles. It shouldn't be too crowded, but enough to test your self-restraint."

"What about Edward?" I asked stealing a quick glance at his face. He smiled and gave my hand a slight squeeze.

"We figured we would make it a girls-only day," answered Esme.

"Okay," I said with a smile. As much as I loved Edward, there were times I felt more than a little smothered.

"Since we have almost four hours until it's dark enough to go out," Alice said, "Feel free to explore the house, watch TV or just do whatever. Remember, you're officially part of the family now," she added with a smile.

Everyone seemed to interpret Alice's little speech as a dismissal from the conversation that had just occurred. Emmett turned on the television and proceeded to watch it with Jasper and Alice. Esme and Carlisle made their way out onto the back porch, talking. And Rosalie ran up the stairs, presumably to her room.

I turned to look at Edward who was already staring at me. "What should we do?"

"Well…" he replied with a mischievous grin.

With a laugh, I turned and ran up the stairs, Edward close behind.

He caught me in front of Rosalie's room. His strong arms held me close to his chest. His topaz eyes, filled with love and excitement, bore into mine. I was in heaven.

At that moment, Rosalie opened her door and Edward's head and mine snapped simultaneously to look at her.

"Bella, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Um…sure," I replied, looking away from Rosalie toward Edward. He was staring at her with a look of utter confusion and, if I didn't' know better, I'd think that there were bits of fear and anger there too.

"_Alone?_" she emphasized.

"I'll meet you in your room in a few minutes," I told Edward.

He finally looked away from his sister in frustration, smiled at me, and walked away. I suppose he either didn't like what he saw in Rosalie's mind, or she was being careful not to let anything on.

Rosalie stepped back to let me enter the room, then closed the door quietly.

She bade me to sit on a soft, navy blue loveseat across the room from the bed. She looked uncomfortable sitting down next to me.

Rosalie sighed and then began. "I'd like to begin by offering my humble apology for my previous actions. I was…snobbish and stubborn." She seemed to feel awkward as she kept playing with her fingers and kept her gaze on her lap. However, she continued, "I suppose Edward told you I was jealous," I nodded," Well, he was right…to an extent. It's just that I don't really remember being human, and normally we avoid them socially at all costs, so I'd forgotten many things.

"I won't lie to you; I didn't think we could trust you with our secret. But when I saw you and Edward, I became more jealous and hated you even more. You were experiencing everything for the first time, whereas there is nothing new for me. Anyway, will you forgive me?" She finally looked at me sheepishly.

"Well,…" I hesitated, "Of course." I was still irritated and extremely aggravated though. How could she be so cruel, even going so far as to admit that she hated me only days before, and then expect an apology to fix things?

"Anyway, I'm wondering, have you actually looked in a mirror since you've been changed?"

I shook my head, not sure whether it was meant as a compliment or an insult.

Rosalie stood, dragging me along with her to the back of the door, where a mirror hung. "I think you'll be surprised."

I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I saw.

My reflection showed me, but far more pale than usual. My hair was still wavy, but it was now shiny and free of frizz. For the first time I realized that I was wearing different clothes than what I was last conscious in. I had on a pair of jeans that were tight in all the right places and flared at the bottom. My top was a simple black tee-shirt that hugged close to my body. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I realized that, though little had changed, I felt extremely attractive. I looked far more self-confident and my posture was perfect. The only real change I noticed was my eyes. They were still brown, but they now had golden highlights.

All the while, Rosalie had been talking about fixing my hair and applying make-up to me. I found it slightly unnerving how friendly she was now when just days ago she had loathed me.

She kept talking as she pulled my hair into a high ponytail and curled the strands in the front that were too short to reach. If it were possible, I now looked even better.

"Um…Rosalie?"

She tore her gaze away from our reflection in the mirror and looked at me.

"If we're done, do you mind if I go back to Edward?"

She smiled and replied, "Not at all, I hadn't realized how much time had passed."

With that I walked out of the room and made my way towards that stairs leading up towards Edward's room only to find him sitting on the bottom steps waiting for me.

"What did Rosalie want?" he questioned while standing.

"You don't know?" I teased.

He didn't return my playful deposition. Instead, he looked angrily towards her door.

Sensing trouble, I said, "Edward, relax. She just wanted to apologize for her behavior earlier."

With obvious relief and a laugh, Edward scooped me up in his arms and had run up to his room before I could even protest.

He carried me into his room and put me on a couch that now faced the window-wall so we could watch the sunset over the forest.

A moment later he joined me, but not before he put on a collage CD of Debussy's _Claire de Lune._

As we spent the next few hours watching the sunset and listening to _Claire de Lune_, I realized that, as long as I was in Edward's arms, I wouldn't change my situation for anything in the world.

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Ok, ok…I know overload of fluff. But I needed to somehow connect what already has happened to what will happen. Also, I have outlines for the next several chapters written and chapter 4 is almost done, so be sure to check back soon! Thanks again for reading and be sure to be brutally honest in your reviews! 


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